The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
Good Friday 2019/Our Crucified Lord... "His head is bent to give us the kiss of peace, His arms extended to receive us..."
John kneeling with his 3 week old son, Jude, adoring Jesus at the end of Jude's first Holy Thursday!
Easter Triduum has begun in no better way! We arrived to a very full church to see our family gathered...
John and Bobbi with wide awake Jude in the very front row. The choir to our side and all the bells and singing and reading and praying and all that fills this glorious Holy Thursday service1! Jude awake and peaceful and seeming to sense the wonder of this highest worship and praise!
What JOY to have on the altar assisting and reverently serving - Ruth and Paul's 3 oldest! Incense for Jesus in The Word and in The Eucharist!
Assisting with the foot washing... we are asked to serve others as we share in The Eucharist - receive Jesus in His Body and Blood and then go forth and share and serve as we give what we have been given... New LIFE and LIGHT and LOVE!
This is a very special Good Friday as it is our Mary's 13th birthday! Her Kansas City cousins are traveling here to share in the God Friday services tonight and a meatless birthday celebration for our wonderful newest teenager where finally we will have George and Jude together for the first time!
How he seemed to love sharing this powerful mass with his family! What a gift he is! Grandpa holding him close to his heart filled with LOVE for all LIFE!
This sweetheart, 2 month old George Blaise, is on the road for the first time on the farm and in the church where his mom grew up! How we love to share our Faith as a family as well as our wonderful Farm!
So much excitement last evening... how these people prayed for John over the years and now to see him married to Bobbi and with a precious son! So miraculous... to think that a year ago they were engaged and now this answer to prayer in such a powerful beautiful way!
The Excitement is building as we are gathering to surround Jude with our love and support as he is baptized during the Easter Vigil tomorrow night with 20 of our 29 there around him!
St Jude welcomed me with these beautiful flowers in the gathering space at the top of the stairs today as I went in to the empty church ahead of Good Friday services to pray for Fr Denny/7 sisters!
Walking up to see the tabernacle empty and Christ on the Cross and so grateful for this ministry of 7 sisters allowing me this deeply prayerful time on this Good Friday of 2019!
How we groaned with the beauty and Truth as we read this... sharing morning prayer with Pat;
"Who is the one who is not filled with hope of obtaining confidence and courage when he gazes trustfully on the position of our Lord's crucified body? His head is bent to give us a kiss of peace, his arms extended to receive us, his hands pierced to pour his blessings upon us, his heart opened to love us, his feet nailed to the cross to soften our hearts and remain with us." St Bernard of Clairvaux
As I sat praying the office for Fr Denny... these words from St John Chrysostom...
"There flowed from his side water and blood. Beloved do not pass over this mystery without thought... the water and blood symbolized baptism and the Holy Eucharist. From these two sacraments the church is born: From Baptism the cleansing water that gives rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit, and from the Eucharist. Since the symbols of baptism and eucharist flowed from his side, it was from his side that Christ fashioned the Church, as he had fashioned Eve from the side of Adam... As God than took a rib from Adam's side to fashion a woman, so Christ has given us blood and water from his side to fashion the Church. God took the rib when Adam was in a deep sleep. and in the same way Christ gave us the blood and the water after his own death."
Yes, this!!!! How amazing and powerful and then I looked up to see my "rosary girl Liz" and her daughter come around the corner! What JOY and tears and hugs and sharing! I feel electric waves of JOY and marvel at the Lord answering many prayers to see her and catch up!
Jesus in the side altar today as it is the only day in The Church that there is no mass... commemorating that Our Lord died for us this day! My patron saint, Luke, whose image is above and St John on the other and facing us! So powerful to have them with me and gazing down upon us!
As Liz... "We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you"
For by your Holy Cross, you have set us free!"
Our Mother of heaven and earth with her Son on the Cross overhead! Of course, Liz and I share such a profound deep love for Our Mother! She is with us so powerfully and humbly on this journey we are on!
So powerful this day! Good Friday/Mary's 13th birthday/Nancy on the road to share with us in family time as good as it can get!
Lord, how we fall on our knees and give you our weak and childlike selves! You tell us that we need be like little children and so we are. When we are weak and helpless and in need of you we turn to YOU, Our Lord and Savior, the perfect lamb slain for us. May we carry/drag our Most Cherished Cross and follow you down the narrow path to find eternal LIGHT/LIFE/LOVE awaiting us at the end of our journey. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen
2019 Easter Butterfly - New LIFE, and Cross - "I promise unto Death." The leaves are bursting forth as we are embracing the Cross today to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT! Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke and Domestic Church/family!
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